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Breaking up Eskom’s monopoly in South Africa’s power market is not the answer to signing the outstanding PPAs under the country’s renewable energy procurement programme, a representative from the Department of Energy (DOE) has said.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has launched an investigation into Eskom’s ongoing refusal to sign outstanding PPA contracts under the country’s renewable energy procurement programme (REIPPPP).

South African utility has failed to meet the deadline imposed by the country’s previous minister of energy for the financial close of outstanding PPAs under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

South African utility Eskom is defying the injunction of president Jacob Zuma by attempting to negotiate tariffs with preferred bidders as opposed to signing existing PPAs outright, according to the South African Renewable Energy Council (SAREC).

Eskom is conditionally committing to follow through with South African president Jacob Zuma’s announcement that the utility will indeed sign the remaining PPAs under the government’s renewable procurement programme (REIPPPP).

Jacob Zuma, the South African president, announced on Thursday that the country’s biggest utility Eskom will indeed sign the outstanding PPAs won in the fourth round of the successful Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

The battle between South Africa’s utility Eskom and renewable independent power producers (IPPs) continues with legal confirmation that IPPs can force Eskom’s hand to force it to sign the power purchase agreements (PPAs) under the government’s procurement programme.

In this week's Movers & Shakers, PV Tech covers the controversy surrounding the sudden exit of Brian Molefe from South African utility Eskom after scandal accusations, and reports on whether this could emerge as an opportunity for the country's embattled renewables procurement programme. We also report on First Solar slashing jobs after it rescinded on its former plans to migrate its series five module and other happenings from the US, Europe and China.

First Solar subsidiary Skytron, specialising in monitoring, control and supervision systems for utility-scale and commercial PV plants, will be deploying its technology at an 86.2MWp PV plant in South Africa.